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  “I have you. How many friends do I need?”

  She let go of my arm, and I rubbed my wrist gingerly. They greeted each other, giving hugs as I slinked into the background. I sipped at my beer slowly, taking in the scene as the chilled bubbles cooled my throat. A group of girls hollered from the doorway as three guys walked in, commanding attention from the crowd. They laughed and made their way straight to the bar, the crowd seemingly parting to allow them a wide birth as if they were royalty. The first was smaller, with sandy blonde hair, his face still clinging to the more youthful appearance of boyhood. He wore a navy blue Shamus Thornton College t-shirt that read Shame U across the chest. He was followed by a much larger guy with the same color hair, but there was no arguing he was a man. They could have been brothers, but their size difference was comical. The third had dark hair, parted back to the side with tattoos scattered over his muscular arms. I recognized him immediately from this morning.

  “Gigi,” I whisper-yelled, trying to get her attention, but she had her arms wrapped around some burly guy’s neck, and he was whispering to her. I cringed as his tongue swiped across her earlobe.

  The blue-eyed hottie glanced my way, a hint of a smile on his lips and I looked down at my feet, blushing as I recalled our earlier meeting in the confined space of the elevator.

  “Can you grab us some drinks?” Gigi yelled over the music. I nodded and made my way to the opposite side of the bar, trying not to look over at the group of guys that were now surrounded by girls.

  I held up my fingers to the bartender, signaling for two more beers. He opened them and sat them on the bar in from of me.

  “Are you guys hiring?” I yelled over the music, and he shook his head. “Thanks, anyway.” I pulled out some cash and set it on the bar, before making my way back through the crowd. My violin had given me a few extra dollars in my pocket, but with my mother’s mounting medical bills, and my father's absence, I was going to need a job if I wanted to continue school. Every day I was slipping further and further under.

  “Thanks, Henley,” Gigi hugged my neck tightly, already half-tipsy. The more she drank, the less she understood personal space.

  “I think that guy over there is the one that got in that fight,” I yelled in her ear. She looked around at the bar before her eyes stopped and she smiled.

  “That guy?” she asked. “That’s Lucas Young. He’s from London or England or some fancy shit like that.”

  “London is in England.”

  “But not all of England is London. Whatever. He’s got one hell of a reputation. Such a shame because he is one sexy mofo. I’d like to see his Big Ben if you know what I mean. Stay as far away from him as possible. Trust me.” She laughed as the man she had been hanging on all night came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “That guy is nothing but bad decisions wrapped in a pretty package.”

  “That’s saying a lot coming from you,” I joked, and she scowled at me. “They seriously need better security at the dorms.”

  Her attention quickly turned back to the stranger that was now nibbling on her earlobe as if he hadn’t eaten in days. She giggled over-enthusiastically, and I rolled my eyes. I wished I had stayed in my room.

  Chapter Two

  LUCAS

  It was another night, lost in a sea of strangers all with one common goal, to get fucked up enough to be able to pretend they were someone else; someone better. All of the faces were familiar, yet unknown. All but one. My eyes landed on the nervous girl I’d ran into in the lift at Decker Hall. She tucked her long, auburn hair behind her ear as her eyes met mine, and I couldn’t help but smile as they widened fractionally out of recognition. Her gaze dropped and so did my smirk as I turned to the bartender and asked him for a shot of bottom-shelf tequila and a beer chaser.

  “It’s too crowded tonight,” Noah yelled over the music. He’d been my flatmate for the past year, moving in after Beef and I decided we needed someone else to chip in with bills. But he was far from the typical college guy. He hated being dragged out to have fun.

  “It smells like balls,” Beef yelled back, laughing as he clapped his large hand on Noah’s shoulder, causing him to wince. He’d already drank half a bottle of Smirnoff Vodka, which usually wouldn’t have even fazed him, but his painkillers were just beginning to kick in.

  “God bless America,” I quipped as I slammed back my shot.

  “Fuck yeah,” Beef yelled, his deep voice booming louder than the bass of the music. I’d met Coby AKA Beef when I first came to the states. He had just blown out his knee and nearly lost his football scholarship. Luckily, his father was best friends with Coach Crane, and Beef happened to be one of the biggest motherfuckers you’d ever laid eyes on. But the injury was enough for Beef to realize his own mortality and how fleeting his football future really was. “I’m ready to get in a fight or get fucked.”

  “Let’s hope not at the same time, mate,” I replied as I nodded to the bartender who was already refilling our shot glasses. My eyes scanned the crowd but kept being drawn back to the girl and her blonde friend. She looked so innocent and shy but didn’t hesitate to lie for me the moment I’d met her. Most would chalk it up to her being afraid or some stupid shit like that, but she never backed away from me. In fact, she studied me as if she was curious.

  “Who’s that one?” I asked, nodding my chin in their direction. Beef hung his heavy arm across my shoulders as he tried to follow my line of sight.

  “The blurry one with the big tits or the blurry one who looks like she got lost on her way to the library?”

  I shook my head, shrugging out from under his heavy arm. “You need to slow down. mate. I can’t carry your big arse out of here.”

  Beef rolled his eyes as he took my beer bottle and tipped his head back, draining the contents down his throat. He handed the empty bottle back to me, his eyes locked on the dance floor.

  “Can I get a water?” I called over my shoulder to the bartender. His eyes went to Beef who was swaying slightly before he nodded to me. He grabbed a bottle, sitting it down on the wooden bar.

  I took it with a nod as I unscrewed the lid, handing it to Beef who chugged the contents without even taking a breath. I wiped the condensation from my palm across my t-shirt as some random brunette was talking animatedly about a kegger she was going to next week. I didn’t realize I was the person she’d been speaking to until the shrill sound of her voice came to an abrupt halt and she was blinking at me, waiting for a response.

  “Sounds amazing,” I replied as my eyes drifted back over the crowd.

  “Your accent is so sexy. Where are you from?” She asked, and I rolled me eyes as I leaned back against the bar.

  “Scotland,” I lied. Her smile widened as she raked her teeth across her glossed lower lip.

  “That’s hot.”

  I rolled my eyes as I turned slightly to signal to the bartender that I needed another drink.

  “Look at those assholes,” Beef leaned closer to me as he pointed to the center of the crowd with his empty water bottle. My eyes followed and I shook my head as one man who clearly should have been cut off hours ago was bumping into people on the dance floor. To his left was the awkward girl from the elevator, clearly no longer feeling nervous as she swayed her hips, her eyes falling closed as if she could feel the song vibrating through her soul. Her tank top had ridden up, revealing a swath of milky skin between the top of her jeans and her belly button. She tugged at it as she turned, her fingers raking through her hair, revealing the back of her long neck.

  “Come dance with me,” The brunette whined, tugging at my arm.

  “I don’t dance.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because if I dance with you, I can’t watch her.” I pointed with the neck of my beer bottle to the girl from the elevator. The brunette gasped before smacking me on the chest.

  “I’ll dance with you,” Beef slurred, earning him a smile before she slid her hand into his, glaring over her shoulder at me as he pu
lled her out to dance to the song. Leaning back against the bar, I watched the people around me move as if they were possessed or on drugs. It was most likely the latter.

  “Wanna go over to the park next to Fawler Lake and play some two-hand touch?” Noah asked, leaning back beside me.

  I snorted before taking a sip of my drink to hide my smirk. “Is that code for something else?”

  Noah clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he shook his head. “Come on, man. You played football.”

  “Beef plays American football. What I play you Yanks call soccer. Completely different game.”

  “Whatever. This is boring,” He shot back before tipping his own bottle to his lips as Beef and his new dance partner returned. “I’ll be outside.” He sat the empty bottle on the bar before slipping through the crowd of people.

  “What was that about?” Beef asked as the girl slid between us.

  “I don’t think he was hugged very much as a child,” I replied before motioning to the bartender for another round of drinks.

  Chapter Three

  HENLEY

  I had found my way to the center of the dance floor, stumbling over my own feet as I shook my hips to the thudding beat. It was amazing how my fingers could produce music so effortlessly, but my body failed to cooperate when it came to staying in time.

  “This is so much fun,” Gigi screamed, and I couldn’t hold back my giggling.

  “It’s not so bad.” I shrugged, trying to move my hips to the rhythm. I am sure I looked like I was having some sort of seizure next to Gigi, but thanks to the alcohol coursing through my veins I didn’t care. I spun around, putting my back against her as we moved our bodies together. I glanced over at the bar and my eyes locked on to Lucas. I bit my lip tucking my hair behind my ear as I struggled to look seductive. He grinned back at me, oblivious to the girl that was whispering in his ear and rubbing her hand across his muscular chest.

  Suddenly, the wind escaped my lungs as I was shoved forcefully across the floor. Two guys had begun arguing, and the one pushed the other, sending him flying directly into me. My drink spilled over the front of my shirt, completely soaking me and sobering me up instantaneously. “What the hell,” I yelled, my vernacular becoming more like Gigi’s the inebriated I became.

  “You ruined my new sneakers, you bitch,” he spat back angrily, towering over me.

  “Holy shit, Henley! Are you okay?” Gigi asked as the larger of the men who’d come in with Lucas rammed into another, sending him falling backward into someone else. All hell broke loose.

  Out of nowhere, Lucas was on the other side of me. He grabbed the man who’d ran into me by his collar. Holding him back at arm’s length, he swung full force. His inked fist collided with the guy’s jaw, sending him falling to the dance floor with a busted and bloodied lip that matched his newly bruised ego. “Now you got blood on your trainers.”

  Others around us joined in, and the room was suddenly chaos, fists flying without caring where they connected.

  “Let’s go,” Gigi yelled, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the way. The crowd was pushing all around us. Some were trying to escape while others wanted a better view of the fight. Gigi’s hand lost its grip, and soon several people stood between us and I began to panic.

  “Gigi,” I called over the music and the screaming of the crowd. Lucas glanced back at me, and I stared at him, unable to move for fear of being hit by someone else.

  The front doors pushed open, allowing the street light to flood the darkened room and over the music I could hear the faint sound of sirens wailing in the distance. The crowd rushed the doors, and I put up my arms, worried that I was going to be trampled.

  “Gigi,” I screamed again as the crowd moved her further and further from me. The guy she had been hanging out with all night pulled her toward the exit, as I stood frozen.

  “Let’s go,” Lucas commanded, as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me toward the back of the bar, away from the main exit. I searched the crowd, but Gigi was being ushered out of the front of the building. We pushed through a door labeled employees only. After we had snaked through a small corridor, we were outside where the night air now felt cool, and I struggled to steady my breathing.

  Lucas nodded to the two guys he had come in with who sat in a small black SUV. The back door flew open, and I panicked, not sure if I was being saved or kidnapped. I pulled back from him in hesitation remembering Gigi’s warning to avoid him. He looked down at me, his face twisted in confusion then changed to what seemed to be amusement.

  “Come on. We gotta go,” he warned, pulling me toward the car with a smirk. I dug my teeth into my lower lip and reluctantly slid into the backseat as more people filed out of the bar and ran in every direction. Lucas slid in beside me and tapped the seat in front of him that was occupied by the larger of his friends. “Go, Beef.”

  “Did you just call him Beef?” I asked as I clutched my bag a little tighter.

  Lucas glanced sideways at me, his lips twisted up in amusement. “His names Coby Savage, like Kobe beef?”

  “Yeah, no. I get it,” I replied, shaking my head at the absurdity of our conversation. “Good thing your parents didn’t name you Colby, or we’d have to call you Cheese.”

  Beef’s eyes met me in the mirror, and he shook his head with a quiet chuckle.

  The car took off in the darkness with no headlights on to guide the way until we put a few blocks distance between us and the bar. I grabbed at my seatbelt, but I panicked, pulling it too hard, causing it to lock in place. “I’m going to kill Gigi if I die tonight. This is what I get for going out when I should have been in my room binge watching television and catching up on my work.”

  “Do you always prattle on about nothing when you’re nervous?” he asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he struggled not to laugh when I became increasingly flustered.

  “Um... yes, I do, actually. My mom said I used to talk nonstop –”

  He placed his finger on my lips, silencing me and causing my eyes to widen at the sudden contact. “You’re safe,” he whispered as he reached across me and tugged gently on the strap, clicking it into place. His close proximity made my already racing heart thud violently against my rib cage as if trying to break free. Suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to escape as well, the confines of the small space making it impossible to breathe.

  His friends continued to talk animatedly about the fight as we made our way toward campus, but the motion of the car mixed with the various alcoholic beverages I’d consumed was turning my stomach.

  “Pull over,” I said, but my voice barely came out. “Pull over,” I shouted a little louder. The laughter dulled down as the driver Lucas had called Coby met my gaze in the rearview mirror, and the vehicle pulled off to the side of the road. “I can find my way from here,” I said, trying not to sound ungrateful but had I been sober, I would have never gotten into the car with a bunch of random hoodlums. My mother’s warnings about letting someone take you to a second location played over in my head. I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the door. The night air was refreshing, and I instantly felt better with my feet on solid ground.

  “Wait,” Lucas called after me and opened his door. He jogged over to me, and I took a step back, not sure what his intentions were. He laughed, but I got the feeling it was at himself. Someone who’d spent as much time and money covering themselves in tattoos had to have known they didn’t exactly make him appear friendly. “Go ahead, guys. I’ll catch up with you later,” he said to the driver, nodding his head. The car took off into the darkness, leaving me standing, alone, with Lucas.

  “It’s not safe to be out here walking alone. You never know what type of blokes you could run into.”

  “You mean guys like you who start fights in bars... and dorms?” I looked him over. “No offense, but I don’t know you.”

  “That’s right, you don’t, but that hasn’t stopped you from making judgments.” His eyebrow ros
e. “We rode the lift together, remember? I’d say that at least makes us acquaintances. What’s your name?” he asked, a boyish grin creeping across his face that threatened to make my knees buckle.

  I hesitated, unsure if I should give him that information and momentarily forgetting exactly what my name was. “Henley Brooks... and I have pepper spray in my bag,” I murmured, tucking my hair behind my ear.

  “Duly noted, Henley Brooks. My name's Lucas.”

  “I know,” I replied, regretting the words as soon as they left my mouth. His grin grew larger as he ran his fingers through his dark hair.

  “My reputation precedes me. No wonder you look so scared.”

  “I should be getting back.”

  “Decker Hall, right? I’ll walk you home. You can never be too safe.” He winked and my stomach fluttered.

  “I can manage. Thanks for the ride.” I turned away from him and began to walk down the alley, not sure where I was, but I kept moving. He was everything I was warned about when my mom sent me off to college. Lucas jogged up next to me, grabbing my arm. I held my breath, afraid of what he was going to do. He released me when he saw my expression, taking a step back.

  “I was just going to show you a shortcut, love,” he explained, gesturing to the houses beside us. I nodded and reluctantly stepped forward. He grabbed my hand and pulled me behind him, the sudden contact causing every nerve ending in my body to begin rapid firing in succession. Something told me the move was deliberate, a way of gaining trust from someone who was reluctant to give it to him. But something also told me I’d spend too much time with my nose buried in books and not everyone in the real world had an ulterior motive.

  “You’re different from the other girls at the bar,” he said offhandedly, and I recoiled, feeling like he was making fun of me. He pulled my hand back closer to him as we walked through the next row of houses.

  “I didn’t mean it like that.” He ran his free hand through his messy hair again causing it to stick up haphazardly. “Most girls at that bar don’t try so desperately to get away from me.” His eyes flashed to mine, and I felt my cheeks burn pink. I looked to the ground struggling to find something to say to him, but the alcohol had caused my brain to fog. “And they would have assumed I was complimenting them.”